The Body of Christ

One of my favorite parts of our trip to Kansas was getting to visit the church we attended when we lived there seven years ago. My husband and I had a good laugh on the way back to our hotel because it only took about ten minutes of being in the church to remember all the things we loved about attending there (and a few of the things that were challenging). It felt like home the first time we walked in, and it felt like home again after years of being away.

We moved away from Kansas two years before Oliver died. Our old church in Kansas prayed for us and mourned with us from afar. They knew Oliver: his beautiful dimples and hazel eyes, his care and love for his sister, his humor, the way he gave his all at AWANA game time to the point of getting all red and sweaty, his ease in memorizing Scripture, his challenges in reading Scripture... When we visited in February, we were able to give and receive some long overdue hugs, wipe away a few tears, mourn a bit together both over the loss we had experienced and the losses each of them had also experienced in the same timeframe, and recount the ways God has been faithful. 

Sometimes this military life we live is tiring, and I am ready to be done saying good-bye as we move our family around the country all the time. But I am so thankful for the friends we have made and the churches we have been able to be a part of. It has been a unique way to experience the body of Christ and taste a bit of the joy that is coming when we are reunited in Heaven someday.

PS. I couldn't pick an appropriate number of pictures to include in this post from our time living in Kansas, so I included too many all at the end. Oliver was in second grade in these pictures.

Building a swing with Dad

I don't remember if he was fixing the bike for real or for pretend.

Splatter painting

These two have a story they love to tell about this camping trip.
You should ask her about it someday.

My dad and mom came to visit us!

We played so much football in the backyard that winter. 
He was a terrible sport, and I despaired of him ever learning
to be a good loser. He did get better with time and maturity!

He was so excited to be on a baseball team!